Local and regional musical acts of all genres, followed by national headlining acts.
- Mainstage: the largest free music concert in the region, hosting three nights of world-class musical acts and local opening acts.
- District Stages: three different stages showcasing musical and performing art from the region’s most talented entertainers.
- Interactive Drum Circles: walk-up drum circles for guests to join in and enjoy the collective rhythm.
Along with featuring music throughout the entire weekend, CelebrateErie showcases five event districts, each representing a different part of what makes Erie unique.
Friday, August 16
One World Tribe
One World Tribe was started in the mid 90’s. The brainchild of Kennedy Thompson. Thompson’s idea was to create a multi-ethnic musical group that could play most of the music styles that he grew up listening to such as R&B, Funk, Jazz, Latin Rock and Reggae. The concept was an instant hit on the local music scene as OWT became a dominating force in the Erie scene for over 2 decades.
Along with founding members, Mike Chin, Kenny Hollis, Ronald Williams, Brad Amidon, Frank Singer, Matty Walker, Mark Marchant, Enrique Lozada and Barnetta Deboe, the group drew crowds at club shows unparalleled in the history of the scene. The group also became a Regional Music Power House. Developing a strong following in parts of the Northeast and Midwest. In cities such as Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Randy Bauman of Pittsburgh’s WDVE radio says the Tribe is tighter than any band that comes through town, much less any band from town. The group’s debut CD Unity & Diversity was praised as a recording that sounded like a major label recording.
Prompting Erie Times Music critic Dave Richards to say One World Tribe’s ‘Unity and Diversity’ has more soul and brims with more vitality, than half the discs that pass for music on corporate labels. For 30 years they have helped to set the standard of excellence in World Music. They have been and continue to be true Keepers of the Flame!
Saturday, August 17
Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World is celebrating three decades and 10 albums of existence in 2024. The Mesa, AZ, four-piece’s commercial breakthrough came with the release of several singles from their album Bleed American, with “The Middle” hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart and peaking at No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, where it spent 33 weeks total and became RIAA-certified Platinum. Futures, their follow-up to BA, featured “Pain,” which also hit No. 1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart. In October 2019, the band released their tenth album, the critically acclaimed Surviving, which became one of three “chapters” of their 2021 globally streamed series Phoenix Sessions that also included Futures (Chapter V) and Clarity (Chapter III), performed in their entirety (available on YouTube here). Recently, they’ve released two independent singles, “Something Loud” and “Place Your Debts,” with the former charting 21 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay.
Saturday, August 17
Wheatus
Teenage years may be fleeting, but it seems ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ is for life, as Wheatus’ debut single popped up yet again in 2022, making itself known in a way never seen before in the form of a TikTok trend. The “Teenage Dirtbag photos” trend has now been embraced by nearly a million people, including celebrities such as Madonna, Lady Gaga, Mark Ruffalo, Lil Nas X, Jon Bon Jovi, Chevy Chase, and countless others, resulting in the hashtag #teenagedirtbag being viewed over 2 billion times worldwide.
Wheatus continues to spend as much time as possible on the road, both for headline shows and as a support act (most recently with Everclear, Hoobastank & Living Colour on the Summerland 2021 tour) across North America. Wheatus have also made a triumphant return to festival stages, playing high profile events like Audacy Beach Fest, where they performed alongside Muse, Jack White, The 1975 and Machine Gun Kelly, just to name a few. While managing the sudden influx of attention and press, the independent six-piece band have been continuing their ongoing project of re-releasing their debut album (in a twenty-song expanded edition featuring “lost” songs from throughout the years), creating content for their endlessly loyal fanbase on Patreon, and getting ready for whatever the future throws at them next.
To date, the eclectic rock outfit has now released six studio albums, two live albums, and multiple additional singles.
Sunday, August 18
Gabby Barrett
Delivering her most autobiographical work to date with the sought-after sophomore release of Chapter & Verse, Warner Music Nashville’s MULTI-PLATINUM star Gabby Barrett continues to intimately narrate her life with current single “Dance Like No One’s Watching.” In a stunning evolution of PLATINUM Goldmine and its Deluxe edition – a 2020 release with smashes: meteoric breakout 7X PLATINUM #1 “I Hope,” 4-week Hot AC #1 crossover “I Hope (feat. Charlie Puth),” 3X PLATINUM three-week #1 “The Good Ones,” and PLATINUM “Pick Me Up” – Barrett took greater creative control than ever before and co-produced the full album. Surpassing 3 BILLION global career streams, she’s also stacked major accolades like Billboard Women in Music 2022’s Rising Star Award, 2021 CMT Artists of the Year, and the iHeartRadio Titanium Award, plus nods from ACM, AMA, Billboard, CMA, CMT, and iHeartRadio. With top-tier co-hosting gigs on ACM Awards and CMA Country Christmas, Barrett has supported the hottest Country tours including Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, and Brooks & Dunn, while also playing mega music festivals like Stagecoach.
